Zuko's Rebirth
by Dagger.Guns
Summary: Zuko's relationship with the earth nation girl Jin, and how he is changed by her love.
1. A Second Chance

**So this is a story based on Zuko's part in episode 15 of season II, "Tales of Ba-Sing-Se". I thought that Zuko and Jin were just brilliant together and it killed me when their relationship was never continued. Hence the story...Enjoy!**

**She was there the next morning**. For the longest time, Zuko did nothing but sit and watch her. Not once in the undeterminable amount of time he observed her did she look his way. He was not surprised, of course. He knew the workings of remorse very well, and was more than a mere acquaintance with the emotion. However, this time the emotion was visiting him with new companions; some of these he could identify, but most remained beyond the reaches of his understanding. He wished deeply that he could understand and identify all of the emotions he felt, but both the depth and abundance of his emotions were working against him.

He knew she was aware of him. At the very least, she knew he was there because this was his place of work. Whether she knew that he was watching her, he did not know. Strangely, the more he watched her, the more he wished that she did know. He felt that on a subconscious level he understood why, but he was not able to put the reason into words. Only after a long time had he realized that she had not yet placed an order for tea. After an even longer time, he realized that he was the person she usually asked to place an order. Whether tea was what encircled her thoughts at the moment or not, she had come to see him, and she had been waiting all this time for him. He felt himself blushing, probably quite vibrantly, although no one was looking at him. He knew he had to at least approach her and ask if she wished to order.

He was aware that every second he wasted was another second she might leave. If she left, she might never come back, which right now seemed like the worst possible thing that could ever happen. Of course, Zuko did not know why thought seemed so horrible to him. Not knowing these things was becoming increasingly bothersome. Finally, he got up from his seat and walked toward her. Time seemed to move both fast and slow as he walked; it seemed to take forever to get there, but at the same time, he was in front of her without remembering his first step. She didn't immediately meet his eyes, but when she did, her face seemed to light up as he could never have expected. Without any hesitation, nor full awareness of what he was doing, he spoke:

"Do you have a minute? I kind of wanted to talk to you."

She laughed. Not a full hearty laugh, but not the obnoxious giggle he was accustomed to girls giving him when they found him funny in a way he didn't understand.

"Sure," she said with a smile. "I can't say I didn't want to talk to you as well."

Outside, they found a place near the fountain. It did not look as beautiful in daylight, and instead conjured up feelings in Zuko that made him silently wish they could talk elsewhere.

He had no clue what to say to her, and she must have sensed it, for she took the first line:

"You said it's complicated."

He knew he would not be able to meet her eyes now. Of course, her eyes were not ones that he had ever been able to meet with ease. Nobody's were, for that matter.

"Is that true?" she asked him.

"Is what true?" he said; gaze still locked on the ground.

"Is it really complicated?" she said with not only an inquisitive tone but with an empathetic one as well. "Or was that just your way of blowing me off?"

"No! It wasn't like that." he said, looking towards her direction but still not able to match her stare had it been there. She was looking forward now, in a manner that she seemed not to be looking at anything that would be visible to anyone else; she was looking at something only she could see.

"Well that's good. For me at least." She added. She turned her face towards him, and he turned away. He looked up at her from the corner of his eye, and she smiled at him. "I didn't think that was the case. You never struck me as a heartbreaker."

"No I don't think I am. Not with all the times I've felt my own heart broken before." His gaze was again at the ground beneath him. He had not expected to say anything like that to her, but he didn't feel that he had made a mistake. He hadn't revealed anything yet about his true origin; he had only revealed something about himself.

He couldn't see her, but he knew she was staring at him and trying to feel his pain. He didn't know how to react to empathy. It had been so long since he had seen it displayed for him before. It reminded him of his late mother, although he did not want to associate Jin with his mother, for obvious reasons.

"You don't have to tell me, but was it a girl?" She asked him.

"No. Sometimes I wish it were as simple as that." he answered.

"Do you want to talk about it? I promise I would listen."

"I know you would. But I can't. At least not right now."

She moved closer to him, and put her hand on his shoulder. He turned towards her slowly, at the same time taking her hand in his. He was suddenly able to stare straight into her eyes, and as soon as he saw them, and the kindness that they harbored, he knew that he could tell her everything, and that she would listen to it all. She wouldn't ridicule him, or ignore him, or pass him off as foolish because she probably had experienced all of those things as well, or at least had the compassion to understand them. He saw in her both the wisdom of his uncle and the compassion of his mother. He had not a clue how to react to the emotions that flooded through him at the moment. Fortunately, he did not have to. She began to lean in closer to him, her lips moving quickly towards his, but at the last second, moving upward and gently kissing him on his cheek, right under the scar. His body stiffened. She hesitated for a second, and then pulled back, although she was still much closer than before.

"Why don't we start with that?" she said, giving him another smile. "We're both new to dating, so let's take it slow."

"We're not dating." He said. But when he saw her face, he knew it had been the wrong thing to say. "At least, not yet." He added, hoping she would focus on the latter statement. He wished that he hadn't spoken so quickly, but unfortunately, it was not in his nature to think things through.

She smiled again. "Fair enough." She said, standing up. He opened his mouth to tell her to stay, but she patted his head and said, "Don't worry, I'll be back. Meet me outside the shop at sundown again."

She walked away before he could say okay, and for a while he sat on the bench alone, thinking to himself, unsure how to react. He hoped he hadn't hurt her again. He knew that he always seemed to say the wrong thing at the wrong time, no matter how hard he tried to watch himself. His thoughts were clearer than they had been earlier, but the clarity only brought about more questions about everything, which was ridiculous in his opinion. Clarity should bring answers, not questions. He brooded on this subject among others, so deeply in fact that he nearly jumped out of his seat upon hearing his uncle's voice.

"I hope you are planning on meeting with her again, Prince Zuko." He said.

Zuko waited a minute, and, without answering, followed his uncle back into the shop. Of course, like always, he was aware that his uncle knew the answer to his question before he even asked it.


	2. Some Wisdom From Uncle

**Zuko did not truly want to talk at the moment** but found himself doing so anyway; his uncle was always a fountain of wisdom, and most likely would know much more about women than he did.

"Uncle?" he asked.

Iroh looked up, not looking surprised at all by Zuko's call. But then again, was he ever surprised by his nephew's need for his wisdom? "What is it, Prince Zuko?" he replied.

"I was wondering," Zuko started, not completely sure of his wording even after his attempts to prepare for the conversation. "What is it about a girl that makes you care so much?"

His uncle smiled warmly at him. "Yes, it is quite an interesting thing." He said with the same warmth that made him so fatherly at times. "And the same advice cannot be given to every person. Certain things, you must figure out for yourself, and hope that the mistakes you make are forgivable."

"So can you help me out or not?" Zuko demanded, more out of fear of what his uncle's answer suggested than true annoyance, although everything he said seemed to come out that way. Zuko did not like the idea of going through this experience devoid of his uncle's wisdom, for if Iroh did not know the answer, how would Zuko himself stand any chance?

His uncle smiled deeper than before, and Zuko regretted the harshness of his demand. "I can help you, Prince Zuko. But I may need to know a little more about your situation." He said. "Tell me, do you know what it is that you want to accomplish by this?"

Zuko's expression must have given away his answer, for his uncle continued.

"Now many would tell you that you should know what you want going into a relationship. However, I believe that it can be even more rewarding to go in not expecting anything. That way, you are less likely to be disappointed because you did not set any expectations in the beginning." He said, sounding as wise as ever.

Zuko thought about this for a moment. He wasn't even sure if a relationship was a possibility for him, and he felt like he was in no position to expect anything of Jin. He didn't know whether this was good or not, but he had another question that he felt was more important.

"How can I keep from hurting her?" he asked.

His uncle's smile turned slowly to a look of solemnity that suited him very well.

"This is a very important question that you are asking, Prince Zuko, and it is especially important to you, being the person you are. You are quick to act, and new to the idea of thinking before speaking or acting. You are not insensitive, but you can still hurt people unintentionally." He said softly. "You must exercise caution when you are speaking to her until the both of you become more comfortable with each other. Even then, you must still make every attempt to control your anger, although it will be tested more than once. Even the kindest of people have weaknesses, and you must seek to find what her weakness is. Not to use against her, of course, but to better understand her and provide the strongest support in the area where she is most weak. This will be the ultimate test of trust for both of you, as you should never press her to reveal this secret to you, but should instead figure it out all on your own, without her ever knowing. Do you understand this, Prince Zuko?"

Zuko thought for a moment. He knew he had heard a similar teaching before. It was in one of the Fire Nation schools he attended as a child. They were teaching about allies in war. It was always best to know your allies weakness better than your opponents, because then you would have a better understanding of their decisions. The difference was that the schools taught that in the end, you use your allies' weakness against them, once the main enemy had been conquered. His uncle was teaching him an entirely new concept. To know of a weakness but to use it to draw closer to a person, and create trust instead of sabotage was complete blasphemy when compared to Zuko's earlier teachings. However, this new idea began to make perfect sense to him, and he wondered how he had missed the wisdom on this subject that his uncle so easily provided.

"Yes, Uncle," Zuko finally responded. "I think I do understand. Thank you for your advice." A shy smile escaped from his face.

"Anytime, Zuko," Iroh replied, returning Zuko's small smile with a hearty one befitting the old man's large figure. "After we clean up the shop, we will get you ready for your next date tonight."

Zuko had no problem with his uncle's use of the word "date". In fact, this usage invigorated him.


	3. The Date

**Zuko found he was now worrying about things he never dreamed he would. **His uncle had combed his hair again, but he had snuck away at the last minute and fixed it. He had not expected to take more than a minute, but he ended up taking much longer after he saw his reflection. He had an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach as he stepped out of the tea shop, and he felt as if he were about to throw up. The feeling began to dissipate as he caught sight of her, which he was very grateful for. He still could think of nothing to say to her though.

She greeted him with a hug this time. After pulling away from the short embrace, she looked up at him and, with a laugh, said: "Your hair's even cuter this time!"

He didn't know how to respond, so he just smiled back at her. She seemed to like that reaction just as well, and took his hand in hers. They began walking down the street, and after a while, he repositioned his arm, putting it around her and pulling her closer. She did the same.

"So where are we going?" he finally asked her.

"I don't know. Are you hungry?" she answered.

"Not really." He said. After a short pause he continued. "So what do you normally do here?"

She took her time answering, even though it seemed to be a simple enough question. He didn't want to seem impatient, however, so he waited. After all, he was trying to piece his thoughts together as well, and was in no hurry to be put on the spot again.

Finally she answered: "Most people who know me think I'm strange, because I never seem like I'm doing anything. A lot of the time, I just sit and watch people, or think to myself. Every night I go and see the fountain, and half the time I fall asleep there."

"Really? Don't you get bored doing nothing all the time?" he asked.

"Well I have a couple of simple hobbies, like gardening and things like that, but no, I actually don't get bored. You should try it sometime: doing nothing, like you said."

"I don't know if I could. I'd be worried that I was wasting time." He said, his gaze traveling slowly towards the ground, and his tone of voice following suit. "I guess I'm just too impatient." He admitted after a short pause, and his face fell into a frown as it often did when he voiced his inadequacies.

There was silence between the two for a while. A few times, when he was feeling incredibly daring, he almost looked towards her. It seemed like such a strange thing to be intimidated by, but at the moment, he knew he would be more captivated by Jin's gaze than by anything else he could think of. He didn't know what he would do if he met her eyes, but hoped he would figure something out if this were to happen.

"Let's try it!" she exclaimed, abruptly breaking the silence.

"Try what?" he said, wondering why she would be so vague.

"Just doing nothing," She answered, turning to face him, and showcasing her great smile yet again. "I bet it would be easier for you to do if you had someone with you. We could wait until one of us gets hungry."

Maybe it was as simple as her smile, or maybe it was something deeper than that. He felt that Jin was the gate to a whole new world for him. A new world with different rules than the ones he had followed his whole life, and these rules would not make him feel so angry at himself. He felt that he could enter her world and never have to come out again, and that he would be better off in doing so. Whatever it was, he wanted to give her way of life a try. He tried to manage a "yes" or some word to show her he agreed, but all he could manage was a weak nod. That was enough for her, and she began to run off, calling him to follow her.


	4. From Nothing To Kisses

**At first he thought he would just hold her and let her have some time to think on her own, **but she had other ideas in mind. She suggested that they sit on opposite ends of a street, so they would both have time to think to themselves, while still taking comfort from the fact that the other person was close by. He was disappointed that he would not have the pleasure of holding her, but when he thought more about it, his previous intention was not very respectful of her ideas. He could not truly say that he valued her if he could not bring himself to respect something that was important to her. So he would try "doing nothing", even if it didn't sound like the best thing to do.

"You seemed like you were deep in thought for a minute." She said softly, even though no one was around to hear her. "I didn't want to disturb you. After all, that's what thinking is about. It's your time to think whatever you want, and anyone who disturbs you could have just prevented you from having the most important thought of your life!"

He looked at her with new intensity, and he sensed that somehow his stare had changed; it was looking at who she was, not at any physical aspect of her. He had never experienced this ability of his visual sense before, and the introduction of a deeper element made looking at her even more enjoyable.

"I'm sorry." She said with a quiet laugh. "I'm probably going deeper than you were prepared for."

"I think I've been preparing for a message like that my whole life." He said, and as he spoke, he was aware of how very romantic a statement that was, even though he had not to this day thought of himself as romantic in any way at all. However, it felt good, and he was under no compulsion to end there.

"I've noticed that about you." He said, half aware of his words, while she gazed upon him and listened intently. "You seem to know exactly when I need to think, and you say nothing at those times. But when I want to talk, even if I don't know so myself, you seem to always be ready to talk as well, and you always say something that makes me feel better about myself. All the negative thoughts I always have, all the criticisms, all of my shortcomings seem to disappear from my head when I'm around you."

She said nothing for a minute, and turned her gaze to the ground. Although he was far from finished, he said nothing as well. Then she looked up at him. He opened his mouth, possibly to ask her how she knew what to say around him, or ask her how he could become so intrigued by her in such a short time. Or maybe he could take the focus off of her for the moment, and ask her why he was so angry, and at who, and why he never felt happy until he had met her, and why that was, and a million others questions he could have asked at that moment. These thoughts seemed selfish, however, and all he wanted to do at that moment was bombard her with questions; he wanted to know everything about her.

And then she kissed him. And he kissed her. He instantly forgot everything else, and instead allowed himself to be swept up in the moment. It seemed to last an eternity and a second at the same time, but in that infinite yet brief time, he knew that all of the questions he had hammered his own brain for the answers to would be answered. Not by Jin, not even by his own thoughts. In fact, they might not be answered at all. For if the anger in oneself ceases to exist, the question of what the anger was directed at becomes irrelevant, does it not? And if talking to her and holding her gave him the happiness he had tried to achieve for so long, why bother with asking why? There was no reason to ask anymore. For he knew he could simply breathe the cancer of his troubled mind into her, and she would dispense of them with her kind words. His problems would vanish from the world, forced to keep the pain they induced to themselves. He could lose himself in her, while still being completely him at the same time. As her lips slowly pressed against his for the last time, he let his racing thoughts flow out of his head, and instead focused on putting all of his affection transfer to her with that final kiss.

When finally they stopped, in unison and with great reluctance, a moment passed where they were not able to meet each others eyes. This silence interrupted, however, by a loud gurgling sound. Zuko quickly recognized the sound as his stomach, and blushed with embarrassment at the unpleasant noise.

She merely laughed, not a harsh or condemning laugh, but one of pure affection. He was so overjoyed at that moment that he could not refrain from laughing as well. After the laughter had subsided, a period of perfect silence ensued, followed by an even more perfect kiss after that.

After the second kiss, however, they both began to feel the effects of having not eaten earlier. After a check of the shops nearby, all of which proved to be closed, they determined that they were not going to be eating out that night.

"Let's go back to my uncle's tea shop," Zuko said with a smile that now seemed so natural for him. "Maybe he can fix something up for us."

"That's a great idea" she said, taking his hand and beginning to walk.


End file.
